Respiratory device



June 3, 1952 BERMAN 2,599,521

RESPIRATORY DEVICE Filed June 2, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

BY fl c f ATTORNEY 4 ROBERT A. BERMAN.

Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Robert A. Bel-man,Lawrence, N. Y.

Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,689

. 7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a respiratory device, and relates moreparticularly to a respiratory airway, employed in the practice ofsurgery and medicine, for insertion in the mouth and pharynx of apatient to insure normal breathing. More precisely, my inventioncontemplates a respiratory airway for insertion in the mouth and pharynxto provide passageways through the mouth through which air may enter andbe expelled in breathing when the patient is under the influence of ananesthetic or when natural respiration is rendered difficult by reasonof the collapse of the walls of the pharynx or by the obstriiftion ofthe pharynx by the tongue sliding bac Respiratory airways of the type towhich the airway of my invention belongs have heretofore been made ofmetal or hard rubber and were provided with a single passageway runninglongitudinally thereof. Since it is often necessary for the anesthetistor physician to insert the airway quickly, the metal or hard rubberairway would often cause'lacerations of the patients mouth, tongue andpharynx.

Another factor which contributed to lower the efficiency of these priorairways was the fact that they were difficult to clean the passageway ofmucous and other foreign matter. Due to the pharyngeal bend in theairways it was impossible to look through the passageway from opening toopening to see whether foreign bodies were present or Whether the mucoushad been cleared away by cleaning and sterilization operations.

It is an important object of my invention to provide an improvedrespiratory airway which will be free from the above mentioned and otherdisadvantages and which will be especially simple in construction andeflicient in use.

In one aspect my invention comprises a respiratory airway having twocoextensive passageways open along the full length thereof and separatedby a rib. The use of open passageways makes for easy cleaning underdirect vision; it is impossible in the respiratory airway of myinvention for any mucous or other foreign matter to go undetected.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel method ofpreparing the respiratory airway of my invention.

Other objects of my invention, together with certain detals ofconstruction and combinations of parts, will be apparent from thefollowing description and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of my invention is shown,

respiratory airway, and

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the respiratory airway with afront view of the flanges. v Like reference numerals indicate like partsthroughout the several views of the drawing. I

Referring now to the drawing for a detailed description of my invention,the reference numeral 5 indicates a length of material employed inpreparing the respiratory airway of my invention, and comprises twosubstantially parallel surfaces 6 and I separated by a median rib orcenter bar 8 to form two longitudinal slots 9 and II. The surfaces 6 andI may be smooth, as shown, for greater, strength and rigidity.

Anysuitable material may be employed for makingelement 5. For example, Imay employ a relative soft elastomer, such as natural or artifle cialrubber, a cellulose ester, such as cellulose acetate, cellulosepropionate or cellulose butyrate, a cellulose ether such as ethylcellulose or benzyl cellulose, acrylic resins such as methylmethacrylate, or other suitable synthetic materials. However, I preferto use polyethylene, a polymer of ethylene which is a solidcharacterized by being tough, light in weight, extremely low in waterabsorption and moisture permeability, and resistant to alkalies, acidsand oxygenated'solvents. Polyethylene can be injection and compressionmolded and has a softening point of from 220 to 240 C. and, accordingly,readily lends itself to my novel method of forming the respiratoryairway of my invention, as will now appear.

While my respiratory airway may be formed by injection or compressionmolding, I prefer to prepare it as follows: The element 5 is formed inrelatively long lengths by extruding thermoplastic material, such aspolyethylene, through a suitable die in the form of an H-bar. A strip ofthe desired length is cut from a longer length of the material and thecenter bar 8 is slit longitudinally through substantially the centerthereof for a distance of about one half of an inch. The element 5 isthen subjected to the action of heat at a temperature which softens thesame, the surfaces 6 and I at the slit end turned at right angles toform flanges I2 and I3, and the body portion bent to form the pharyngealcontour l4.

As is well known, the respiratory airway is usually inserted into themouth as soon as anesthesia has been induced. The structure of myrespiratory airway, with its two substantially large passageways, issuch that adequate air space is present. Moreover, when polyethylene isemployed as the base material of my respiratory airway, -the airwayrelatively soft, resilient and therefore non-traumatic. Furthermore, thepolyethylene being soft, breakage or chipping of the patients teeth isprevented. The center bar 8 acts as a bite block, thus preventing theclosing of the passageways 9 and II by the clamping of the teeth.

It will be noted by reference to the'cross section on Fig. 2 that theupper and lower surfaces or flanges 6 and l have running longitudinallyof the device a series of ridges and grooves "extending along the majoraxis. These ridges and grooves'may be prepared "by the shape of theextrusion die utilised.

'I'heelements B and 1 maybe regarded as-plates connected together butseparated by the central bite block 8 or they may be regarded "as thelegs Oran Hor a double U.

Ihese thin plastic plates 6 and l, "as shown with-the groovesandridgesas illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and4,-contribute-to the airway construction.The embodiment of my invention shown and 'ile scribetl-herein-i's to beconsidered merely illustrative, as "invention is'su'sceptible to 'vfariation 'ii'iodinatibn and change Within the spirit are soje-of'theappendedclaims.

I claim;

month and pharynx, corn-prising an -"eldngated Hat body 01 rectangularH-shape cross section with elongated parallel *laterally extending egs,sale-stay having a plurality of longitudinally extending passagewaysopen at the ends and aldn'g the-iiigth thereof. I

an respiratory airway for insertion in the and pharynx, cornpr ising acurved elonflat body of rectangular I i-shape cf'o'ss se't'ibn'tvithelongated parallel laterally extendi rig legs, said "body savingsplurality or longitil'dinally ex-tending passagewaysopenat the ends andaliig the leii'gth'tnereor.

8.;1A respiifatory airway for insertion "in the mouth and pharynx,comprising an elongated flat stays: rectangular H-shape cross sectionwith ,el ongafted parfa-llel laterally extendin lags, said --bo'dyhaving I plurality of -loii'gitudinally extending pa jageways open a"ends and along the length thereof, an integral pa r er- -1. A resiratory ail-way for "insertion in the "thereof to form oppositelydisposed flanges.

5. A -respiratory airway for insertion in the mouth and pharynx,comprising two substantially parallel curved thin fiat plates, and a barextending along the longitudinal axis of and constituting a centralconnection between said plates and integral with said plates, separatingsaid plates and forming two passageways open at the ends and along thelength thereof, said plates being curved atone end thereof to formoppositely disposed flanges.

6. -A respiratory airway for use in surgeryior insertion 'in the mouthand pharyn'xof a patient to provide passageways through the mou'thandpharynx "through which the patient may normally breath under influenceof an anesthetic and when natural respiration is rendered'dlmcult byreason of the collapse of the walls 'o't the pharynx or sliding back ofthe tongue, consisting of two flat closely spaced parallel thin plateshaving a-central 'ba'r vertical to and con nectiilg said plates andsufiiciently thick and strong to resist the pressure of the bite.

'7. The airway of claim '6 in which "the plates at the end of the airwayare turned away from each other at an angle of '90 degrees 'so that theywill be substantially in the-same plane with one-half of the central barbeing attached to each'of theplate's, said airway being formed of "apolyethylene. H V v ROBERT A. BERMAN.

REFERENCES EITED The following rererencs are or record in "the me orthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

